Guardrail and post means for scaffolds



July 14, 1942. c, B

GUARD RAIL AND POST MEANS FOR SCAFFOLD'S 2 Sheets$heet 1 Filed July 24, 1940 1.1. zww /k III ml: ATTORNEY.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A nis ATTORNEY.

July 14, 1942. c. K. LAMB GUARD RAIL AND POST MEANS FOR SCAFFOLDS Filed July 24 1940 Patented July 14, 1942 GUARDRAIL AND POST MEANS FOR- SCAFFOLDS Clyde K. Lamb, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Safety Scaffold Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July 24, 1940, Serial No. 347,188

10 Claims.

My invention relates to safety scaffolds and relates more particularly to improved guard rail and post means to be associated therewith.

An object of my invention is to provide improved post means for safety scaffolds used in maintenance, repair and construction work which can be readily assembled and disassembled from the scaffold parts consisting of the platform supporting means.

Another object of my invention is to provide therewith improved guard rail means adapted to be assembled with the post means in such manner as to provide an easily removable unit from the scaffold.

Another object of my invention is to provide post means which will operate as a support for guard rail means without the necessity of other accessory securing means.

Another object of my invention is to provide post means adapted to detachably secure toe board means.

Another object of my invention is to provide improved post means which will be eflicient in operation. inexpensive to manufacture and which will involve a minimum of parts.

. Other objects of my invention and the invention itself will become more readily apparent when reference is had to the appendeddrawings and the following description in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational View of the improved post means and guard rail and toe board means of my invention and in dotted lines in said figure, I have illustrated several optional operative positions which the guard rail means takes with relation to the post means;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the assembled post and guard rail means of my invention;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the improved assembled guard rail and post means of my invention;

Figs. 4 and 5 are rear elevational views of toe board means to be used with the improved post means of my invention, said toe board being shown in Fig. 4 in telescoped relation, and in Fig. 5 in open extended position;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken through the post of my invention showing the plunger means adapted to be associated with the guard rail sections;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing a guard rail means disposed in a different operative position than that shown in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is an elevational view showing the post, guard rail and toe board means of my invention in assembled position on a safety scaffold.

In Fig. 1, at I, Ishow the improved post means of my invention, said post means, as illustrated, being tubular throughout and having a flanged head shown at 2 slotted as at 3 to permit movement therein and therethrough by guard rail members 4 and 5. Said guard rail members are pivoted together and anchored to a plunger 6 which, in the form shown, is generally formed of solid metal and has a pair of metallic upright arms 1 and 8 pivoted-to the guard rail members by pin means 6 whereby said guard rail mem bers are adapted, when theplunger 6 is drawn up through the tubular post by means of the upper guard rail arms 4 and 5, to seat against inturned shoulders 9 and IU of the upper slotted portion of the post means. The arms 4 and 5 are thus adapted to be revolved about the pivot point, as shown in' Fig. 1 in dotted lines and to assume the solid line position therein illustrated, in which operative position the arms rest upon the notched seats II and I2 provided by the slot 3 in said post means.

One of the guard rail members of my invention, which are pivoted together, preferably is provided with ring means I3 and I3 which are restrained from endwise displacement of the guard rail by a curved end [4 provided at the end or each of said guard rail members. Further, these rings I3 and [3 are adapted to seat upon the upper end'of the post means when the guard rail members and associated plunger are dropped into telescoped position within the post means to prevent the said members from movement beyond the scaffold end of said post.

The post means of myinvention is preferably seated in a socket provided in ahorizontally extending member of the usual triangular type bracket and the plunger projected therethrough but the particular form of bracket or seating of the same constitutes no essential part of my invention.

The toe boards l5 and 16,- shown in Figs. 4 and 5, are preferably constructed of a pair of metal bands, eachof said bands being provided with an inturned end portioni5' and I6 respectively whereby the bands may be prevented from total disengagement with each other and the rings l1 and I8 provided respectively upon the members l5 and I6 permit the said metal bands to be moved withrelation to each other, that is, to be assembled in the manner indicated by Fig. 4. or to be extended in the manner indicated by Fig. 5, and the adjustment permitted of the guard rail members and toe board means associated with the post enables the assembly to be adapted to different size construction work.

The hooks it and 20 are provided on the toe boards at their outer ends and each of said hooks l9 or 23 are adapted to be hooked through an eye 2| on a metal sleeve 22 which is telescoped over the posts and secured thereto by bolt 23. These hooks l8 and 2b are preferably rounded to permit pivoting of the toe board in any desired direction when hooked to the post whereby the toe board, as well as the guard rail means, attains a desirable range of adjustment.

Furthermore, the post means and guard rail members are so formed as to be telescopably united to form a compact, small unit when the guard rail members are not desired in operative use and to be readily assembled in operative position, quite similar to the usual assembly of guard rail members with scaffolds, when such is desired, to protect the workmen. Further, the guard rail members may be telescoped within the post and the post easily detached from the scaffold after, of course, detaching the toe boards therefrom and the unit quickly and easily transported as a unit.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, I preferably use a cable rope through the rings 24 provided substantially in the center of said post, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 herein, for the purpose later described.

In Fig. 8, the post of my invention is shown adapted for use with a scaifold of the type shown and described in my co-pending application for letters Patent, Serial No. 330,133, filed April 17, 1940.

It is to be noted that the guard rail members 4 and 5 are fastened to the plunger 6 by a pin which is riveted at the ends permitting the guard rail members 4 and 5 to pivot about the axis of the pin 5 When the plunger 6 is raised to the top of the tubular post, the plunger is restrained from coming out of the post by the inturned flanges 9 and it! of the head 2, as shown in Fig. 7. The arms, or guard rail members 4 and 5 can then fanout, as for example, the arm 4 to the left andthe arm 5 to the right.

. The arms or guard rails project. through the slot 3 and are held in a horizontal position by the notched seats II and I2 to assume a T-form. The guard rails 4 and 5 are then connected to another set of guard rails by means of the collars l3 and I3, thus forming a complete ring or circle, as indicated in Fig. 8. The guard rails 4 and 5 hence provide protection approximately waist high and the toe boards [5 and I6 provide protection about the floor or catwalk area to prevent tools, etc., from falling from the scaffold, and an additional intermediate protection in the form of a rope or cable is preferably strung through the eyes 24 and fastened to the post I.

It can be seen from Fig. 8 that a multiple of such units forms a very efficient and versatile protection for workmen operating on such a scaffold. In the application shown in Fig. 8, such as a smoke stack, these units encircle the entire structure permitting the workmen to operate in comfort and safety. It will be understood, however, from the foregoing description that my invention may be applied to numerous other types of scaffolds and riggings with equal amount of safety and versatility.

I am aware that numerous and extensive departures may be made from the form of my invention herein illustrated and described without, however, departing from the spirit of my invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a guard rail assembly, a tubular post member, said tubular post member having a flanged head slotted at opposite sides thereof, a pair of guard rail members pivotally joined to a weighted plunger element, said plunger and guard rail sections adapted to be telescoped within said tubular post member when said guard rail sections are not in operative use, and to be withdrawn from said tubular post member and each of said guard rail members disposed pivotally on opposite sides of said flanged head when said guard rail sections are in operative use.

2.. In a guard rail assembly for scaffolds, a tubular post member, a pair of guard rail sections secured together adjacent their end portions, said end portions adapted to be secured to a plunger element whereby said plunger and guard rail sections are adapted to be telescoped within said tubular post members, means carried by said guard rail sections which limit the downward movement of said guard rail sections and plunger element through the tubular post.

3. In a guard rail assembly for scaffolds, a tubular post member, a pair of guard rail sections secured together adjacent their ends said guard rail sections adapted to be telescopically folded together and adapted to be disposed within said tubular post member, said end portions of said sections adapted to be seated adjacent an outwardly extending portion of a horizontally disposed member of said scaffold, a pair of toe board member adapted to be secured to said post member adjacent its point of attachment with said horizontally extending portion of the scaifold and to have adjustable movement with respect to said post, said guard rail sections adapted to be mounted upon the uppermost terminus of said post and to have adjustable movement with respect to said post, the degree of adjustment of said guard rail and toe board members being correlated.

4. In a guard rail assembly for scaffolds, a post member, a pair of guard rail sections pivotally secured together, one of said guard rail members being relatively longer than the other guard rail member and having a hook end portion, a ferrule carried by said guard rail members adapted to seat upon a portion of said post member.

5. In a guard rail assembly for scaffolds, a generally triangular bracket consisting of a horizontal member, an upright member and an interconnecting brace, a tubular post adapted to be detachably secured to said bracket, a pair of guard rail members pivotally secured together, said guard rail members adapted to be telescoped within said post.

6. In a guard rail assembly for scaffolds, a tubular post member, a pair of guard rail members pivotally joined together, a weight secured to said guard rail members adjacent their pivoted ends, said weight also being telescoped within said tubular member, said guard rail sections and said weight adapted to have longitudinal movement within said post, the said guard rail sections being revolved about their pivoted attachment when said sections and associated Weight are in their uppermost position within said post, said guard rail sections being seated upon the upper terminus of said post and disposed substantially when in such seated position at right angles to said post.

'7. In a guard rail assembly for scaffolds, a tubular post member, a pair of guard rail members pivotally joined together, a weight secured to said guard rail members adjacent their pivoted ends, said weight also being telescoped within said tubular member, said post member being mounted upon a horizontally extending portion of said scaffold, said weight adapted to be seated Within said mounting when in its lowermost position within said post, said guard rail sections having the greater extent thereof disposed within the post.

8. In a guard rail assembly for scaffolds, a tubular post member, a pair of guard rail members pivotally joined together, a weight secured to said guard rail members adjacent their pivoted ends, said weight also being telescoped within said tubular member, said post member being mounted upon a horizontally extending portion of said scaffold, said weight adapted to be seated within said mounting when in its lowermost position within said post, said guard rail sections .having the greater extent thereof disposed within the post, a ferrule carried by said guard rail members adapted to seat upon the uppermost terminus of said, post, said ferrule and said mounting limiting further downward movement of said guard rail sections and associated weight.

9. In a guard rail assembly for scaifolds, a tubular post member, a pair of guard rail sections pivotally joined together, a weight secured to said guard rail members adjacent their pivoted ends, one of said guard rail sections being relatively longer than the other, said longer guard rail section being provided with-a hook end, a pair of ferrules slideably positioned upon said guard rail ection, the lowermost of said ferrules adapted to seat upon the uppermost terminus of said post member to limit downward movement of said guard rail sections, when said sections are disposed within said post.

10. In a guard rail assembly for scaffolds, a tubular post member, a pair of guard rail sections pivotally joined together, a weight secured to said guard rail members adjacent their pivoted ends, one of said guard rail sections being relatively longer than the other, said longer guard rail section being provided with a hook end, a pair of ferrules slideably positioned upon Said guard rail section, the lowermost of said ferrules adapted to seat upon the uppermost terminus of said post member to limit downward movement of said guard rail sections, said hook portion of said relatively longer guard rail section adapted to seat upon the uppermost ferrule to restrain said ferrule from upward movement.

CLYDE K. LAMB. 

